Fallon Sherrock

Darts results: PDC Qualifying School Final Stages from the UK and Europe as players compete for a Tour Card

By Sporting Life

Darts

Mon January 16, 2023 · 2y ago

All the news and from the final stages of the PDC Qualifying Schools from January 12-15, where players were vying for 27 available Tour Cards.

Format

There were 128 players competing in the UK Qualifying School at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes and another 128 battling it out in the European Q School at the Wunderland in Kalkar from January 12-15, with a total of 27 Tour Cards on offer for players to secure a spot on the PDC circuit.

Every day, the winner of each region's tournament secured an automatic PDC Tour Card for the next two seasons. In addition to these eight players, there were another 19 awarded on a pro-rata basis to players from the respective UK/European Qualifying School Final Stage Orders of Merit following day four - 10 in Europe, and nine in the UK.

Day one (January 12)

Arron Monk and Jeffrey Sparidaans became the first players to win PDC Tour Cards at the 2023 Qualifying Schools on Thursday.

Monk, the 2011 World Youth Champion, defeated Dom Taylor 6-3 in the UK final to regain his place on the professional circuit for the first time since 2019 while he also beat the likes of Cliff Prior, Luke Smith, Mark McGeeney and Stephen Burton.

Elsewhere at the Marshall Arena, Fallon Sherrock reached the quarter-finals for the first time, while former World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton also made it as far as the last eight - which will give them both valuable points on the Order of Merit.

At the Wunderland in Kalkar, Sparidaans won a Tour Card for the first time on just his second Q School appearance.

The Dutchman, whose only PDC experience came at 2020 Q Schools, defeated former Tour Card Holder Maik Kuivenhoven in the last 16, before averaging 101.62 in his semi-final win over Jacques Labre.

Sparidaans scored a 6-2 victory over veteran Ronny Huybrechts in the final to book his place on tour in 2023 and 2024.

Day two (January 13)

Corey Cadby is back on the PDC Tour for the first time since 2019 after triumphing on the second day of European Qualifying School.

Cadby comfortably booked his place in the Final Stages of European Q School earlier this week and it only took him two days to seal his return when winning Friday's tournament with seven victories.

The 27-year-old started the day with a 6-0 thrashing of Steve Morrison with an average of 103.66 and ended it with a highly impressive 101.13 against Karel Sedlacek in the final, which he won 6-3.

Cadby also recorded a 100+ average in his 6-1 quarter-final triumph over Sebastian Bialecki and apart from two last-leg deciders against Pascal Rubbrecht and Lukas Wenig, he pretty much bossed all his games.

Meanwhile, at the Marshall Arena, Graham Usher produced a fine comeback to edge out Adam Warner 6-5 and seal a place on the professional circuit for the first time in his career by claiming Friday's automatic Tour Card at the UK Qualifying School.

The 49-year-old, who a UK Open qualifier in 2009, recovered from 5-3 down to defeat Warner, producing legs of 14 and 15 darts in the closing stages to become part of the darting big time.

Day three (January 14)

Josh Payne and Jeffrey de Zwaan became the latest players to secure Tour Cards on Saturday.

Payne, a winner of two Players Championship titles, failed to pick up a solitary point on Thursday or Friday, but he returned to winning ways in sensational style at the Marshall Arena.

He came through gruelling early tussles against Mark Challenger and Andy Boulton to move through to round three, where he averaged 99 in a whitewash win over Ryan Furness to continue his charge.

The 29-year-old also accounted for Mark McGeeney and Conan Whitehead to book a last four clash against Graham Hall, where he produced some late fireworks to progress.

Elsewhere, 2012 World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton and Women’s World Matchplay winner Fallon Sherrock both remain in contention following runs to the last 16 at the Marshall Arena.

Meanwhile, at European Qualifying School, former World Matchplay semi-finalist De Zwaan performed magnificently in Kalkar to secure an immediate return to the PDC circuit, having dropped out of the world's top 64 following the Cazoo World Darts Championship.

The Dutchman relinquished just 14 legs in his seven matches at Wunderland, defeating his compatriot Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 in Saturday’s showpiece to seal the deal.

Day four (January 15)

Adam Smith-Neale was the last player to book an automatic place on the 2023 PDC circuit as the former BDO World Masters winner went unbeaten on the final day to win his Tour Card outright, defeating Nick Kenny 6-4 in the UK Qualifying School final.

Irish youngster Dylan Slevin topped the Order of Merit to claim a Tour Card for the first time and he'll be joined by Keegan Brown, Lee Evans, Adam Warner, Graham Hall, Callum Goffin, Christian Perez, Stephen Burton and Sunday's tournament runner-up Kenny.

But Fallon Sherrock's hopes of winning a Tour Card have ended after suffering a 6-3 defeat at the hands of Rob Collins in the last 64 of Sunday's event.

Sherrock had accrued five points across the previous three days of action but it's not enough to secure a top nine spot on the Order of Merit. The action is ongoing.

In Kalkar, Germany, former World Cup finalist Huybrechts ended his three-year absence from the ProTour as one of ten players to win through the European Q School Order of Merit.

Dutch duo Maik Kuivenhoven and Niels Zonneveld and Czech ace Karel Sedlacek also secured returns to the PDC circuit via the Order of Merit.

Lakeside semi-finalist Richard Veenstra headlines the first-time Tour Card winners.

Dutch prospects Gian van Veen and Owen Roelofs, and German duo Pascal Rupprecht and Daniel Klose secured professional status for the first time.

Jacques Labre makes history as the first French Tour Card winner, while Belgium's Robbie Knops became the last player to win a Tour Card outright thanks to a 6-4 defeat of Veenstra in the day's final.

2023 PDC Qualifying Schools: Tour Card winners

UK Qualifying School

Daily Winners

Arron Monk (Day One)
Graham Usher (Day Two)
Josh Payne, (Day Three)
Adam Smith-Neale (Day Four)

Order of Merit

Keegan Brown
Stephen Burton
Dylan Slevin
Adam Warner
Lee Evans
Graham Hall
Nick Kenny
Christian Perez
Callum Goffin

European Qualifying School